Early Morning Meetings
by CrazyRandomMusician
Summary: Germany can't sleep and meets a surprizing and familiar face in his kitchen.
1. Chapter 1

It was one of those nights. It was one of the nights where sleep would elude him for hours only to torture him with old memories when he finally managed to get to sleep. Ludwig woke from a particularly vivid memory of those Canadian soldiers. He did not want to think about it and looking at his clock and seeing red numbers displaying 5:30 he decided he would get up. There was no hope left for sleep that night and maybe breakfast would take his mind off of his dream. There was no Feliciano in his bed tonight so Ludwig didn't have to worry about waking anyone up, Gilbert only got out bed for food so as long as he didn't cook anything he was safe.

As Ludwig walked downstairs towards the kitchen he was contemplating what he should do when he finished his breakfast. While Ludwig was walking through the living room he realized he heard sounds coming from his kitchen. Immediately his mind raced through the possibilities, it could be a robber but it sounded like someone was cooking and humming, so no that probably wasn't it, it might be his brother but Gilbert was much too "awesome" too cook for himself, and Feliciano would never get up this early so Ludwig decided to just look.

Ever so cautiously Ludwig peeked around the corner into the kitchen. He was met with a very strange sight. His brother was passed out face down on the table and his counters! The counters were covered in finite amounts of flour and bowls. Over by the stove stood someone Ludwig did not recognize. The man had hair that was very similar to that of Francis but Ludwig knew it was not him for the man also had a peculiar curl, reminiscent of Feliciano's, sticking up. The man seemed to be cooking pancakes and Ludwig assumed Gilbert had something to do with the man's presence.

Ludwig was about to open his mouth to ask Gilbert who the blond was when said blond turned around. Every nerve in Ludwig's body wanted him to move, to get away from that man but he held himself still because his brain still knew enough to tell him that this man was rather peaceful now and the war was long over.

"Oh! I'm s-sorry if I woke you up. Gilbert couldn't sleep and he begged me for pancakes," whispered a quiet voice. The tone was so different but, Ludwig reminded himself it's a different time now he has every right to be very different. A small laugh was issued from the blonds' mouth and indigo eyes crunched up in a small smile, "But after I started cooking and got him to quit hovering he fell asleep."


	2. Chapter 2

They talked while Matthew finished cooking the rest of the pancake batter. Briefly, they pondered waking Gilbert up to eat but Ludwig didn't want to deal with his brother, though he kept that to himself, and Matthew thought that if he was that tired he might just choke trying to eat anything. So for a while Ludwig just sat with Matthew, talking a little bit, getting to know more about his old acquaintance.

Ludwig was surprised to find that he got along very well with his former enemy. The other man's soft spoken nature appealed to Ludwig who sometimes got tired out by the other easily excitable people around him. They talked while munching on some of the pancakes and when both were full put them away. After putting away the cooking utensils and cleaning up thoroughly after himself, which Ludwig appreciated greatly, Matthew moved to pull Gilbert off the table.

"Ah! Matthew, I can get him!" Ludwig moved to get his brother off the table but before he could Matthew had lifted him and was walking away.

"No. I can handle it," Matthew replied with a smile, "I'm quite capable of carrying something much heavier than Gilbert."

"Oh," Ludwig wasn't really sure how to respond to that. Shortly, he shook himself and preceded Matthew downstairs to open doors and to pull back the covers for his brother. Matthew arranged Gilbert on the bed in a drunken man friendly position. When he was done he left the room and shut the door behind Ludwig and himself.

"I, um," Matthew started suddenly feeling very shy.

Ludwig turned to him and waited for him to continue.

"Would it be alright for me to sleep on the couch? I usually do when I visit but most times Gil, err, Gilbert plans it so I come over when you're elsewhere."

It seems weird to Ludwig that his brother would put planning into arranging when a friend visits.

"Sure," replied Ludwig, "I have no problem with it. Do you need help finding anything?"

"No, I've got it. Thank you though." Matthew smiled and walked back upstairs.

Ludwig paused for a moment reflecting on the unexpected turn for the better his night had taken before following Matthew back upstairs. He had the urge to check that Matthew wasn't making a mess but it conflicted with his sudden desire to sleep. Normally that wouldn't stop Ludwig from checking but he also didn't want to disturb Matthew as he was getting ready for bed.

Ludwig retreated to his own bedroom. It was refreshing to actually be tired enough to sleep. Noting that it was nearly 7am Ludwig rolled over and decided that if for once he felt like sleeping after a nightmare it was probably a sign.

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**I'm sorry this took so long. I hadn't really thought anyone would read this and like it so I didn't have anything planned for it. Also this is the first thing I have ever published on this site and I have no clue how to add new chapters, so, sorry.**


	3. Chapter 3

When Ludwig woke up he felt very refreshed and allowed himself a moment to imagine that his day would turn out well. This short fantasy was ended abruptly when Ludwig rolled onto his side to check the time. It was after ten o' clock! Ludwig panicked briefly and jumped out of bed before remembering that it was Saturday and he didn't have work.

Ludwig sat back down heavily on his bed. It was a very uncommon occurrence for him to sleep in. Usually it only happened when he was sick and even then Ludwig got up on time more often than not. Years of conditioning he supposed. Seeing no alternative Ludwig got up off the bed and got himself dressed.

He walked quietly into the living room to find Mathew still asleep on the couch. Ludwig didn't want to wake him. Matthew looked very peaceful. Just as Ludwig was about to walk into the kitchen to get breakfast he heard Matthew stir. Hearing the movement Ludwig turned back to look at his houseguest. Matthew sat up a rubbed at his eyes before turning to look at Ludwig.

"Good morning," Ludwig greeted.

"Good morning," Matthew replied, "Have you been up long?"

Ludwig looked down a bit feeling embarrassed and shook his head. It was embarrassing that he had slept in so late and he hoped Matthew wouldn't tell anyone.

Matthew stood up and stretched revealing that he had slept in only a pair of flannel pajama bottoms.

"I'll go get Gilbert and we can all have breakfast together then," Matthew said as he walked towards the basement, "That is unless you've had breakfast already. Have you?"

Ludwig was once again a little embarrassed as he replied, "No, I have yet to eat either. I'll get something ready for all of us while you get Gilbert."

The two parted ways and Ludwig entered the kitchen. At first he considered re-heating some of the pancakes for the previous night but he decided instead to make eggs, bacon, and hash browns. If his brother or Matthew wanted pancakes they could have some of those as well.

Several minutes later Ludwig had gotten everything prepared and onto the stove. He was beginning to become concerned that there was no sign of the other two yet when Matthew appeared in the kitchen followed by a very disgruntled looking Gilbert. Immediately Gilbert pulled out a chair and flopped down into it.

"West," he whined in a drawn out syllable,"Gimme coffee!"

Ludwig took his brother's cup out of the cupboard and threw it at his head.

"Get yourself coffee," he snapped and went back to cooking their breakfast.

Gilbert grumbled but got up to prepare the coffee anyways. Matthew asked Ludwig of he needed any help before sitting down when Ludwig politely refused. By this time Matthew had put on a worn looking t-shirt advertising some Canadian beer. While Ludwig finished preparing breakfast and dishing everyone out Gilbert whined quietly over his coffee while Matthew seemed to be zoned out.

Once everyone had their food in front of them Matthew seemed to snap out of his trance.

"It's been a while since I've seen you without your hair gelled back Ludwig."

Gilbert snickered between mouthfuls of eggs and Ludwig chocked a little on his own cup of orange juice. Reaching up to pat his hair Ludwig realized that he hadn't gelled back his hair when he got dressed. He was quite shocked; he did it every day to the point where it was almost habit. What had happened this morning?

Ludwig smoothed his bangs away from his eyes but his hair wouldn't stay that way. Ludwig wanted to go fix his hair right away but told himself no. He was not some teenage school girl hiding behind her hairstyle. He was a full-grown man in his own home and he would sit here and finish his breakfast first.

Prussia finished eating first then sat down at the table to wait for Matthew to finished as well.

Prussia twirled Matthew's cup in circles a couple times before asking, "When have you seen West with his hair down before Mattie?"

Matthew looked up from his breakfast for a moment thoughtfully, "I-I think it was," he paused, "the last time we fought. At the end."

The topic was dropped then as Ludwig faded into remembrance. It was during the last month of fighting. He was tired, his men were tired, everyone was tired but still they fought on. One day when he woke he didn't have time to properly get ready, he only had time to get his equipment and get out onto the field. It was purely chance that he also happened to see Matthew later that day. In the rush of events in the morning he had completely forgotten about his hair so it had remained down all day.

Snapping out of his trance Ludwig finished off his breakfast and with the kindly offered help of Matthew cleaned up the kitchen. Mysteriously Gilbert had disappeared but reappeared again once the cleaning was done. Ludwig scoffed at this and Matthew giggled a little under his breath.

After Matthew and Gilbert got dressed and left the house Ludwig surveyed for any areas in need of tidying. As there were none he retrieved his book from his bedroom and sat in his favorite chair to read.

For a while Ludwig was content with this but eventually he got fidgety and needed to move. Changing into more appropriate clothing Ludwig set out to go get some exercise.

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**So, yay? Sorry for the intense lack of creative sentences.**


	4. Chapter 4

At first Ludwig started out just jogging, warming up his muscles and getting his heart beating. After he felt suitably warmed up he found a park and ducked into it to take a moment to stretch properly. Today he could feel it; it was one of the days where the need for movement drove him to go, where he wouldn't tire out for a while. It was necessary to stretch his muscles fully to avoid injury.

Not wanting to have to doge people while he ran Ludwig first jogged out of the city. He didn't live near the core so it wasn't too far to go. From there he sprinted until his breath became short then he slowed down once more to a jog. He repeated this pattern until his legs muscles were sore at which point he slowed from a jog gradually to a walk before he set to doing arm exercises.

Ludwig did set after set of these while he caught his breath making sure to work all of his upper body muscles. He disapproved greatly of the idea of improvement when only one type of muscle was strengthened. Next he did dynamic leg exercises back towards the city. Once he was done those he stretched once more before beginning his jog back to the city. Not feeling tired enough, in his opinion, Ludwig took a detour home.

On his detour he passed by an alleyway that led to an open street lined with small business with outdoor displays. He could see Gilbert and Matthew at a café sitting and eating sandwiches. Somehow Ludwig felt a sudden and very strong desire to be over there with them. Frowning he shook the feeling off. At least he tried it wouldn't leave him alone so in an effort the leave it behind Ludwig ran faster towards his home.

Once there he discovered an excited Italian making what seemed to be pastries in his kitchen. Oblivious to the home owner returning the Italian continued to hum and make a glorious mess of the space. Ludwig fought the urge to clean and instead forced himself to get a shower first. Once he was done he put his day clothes back on, made sure his hair was gelled back, and went to the kitchen.

One very pleased Feliciano Vargas sat at the kitchen table munching on his praline pavlova cookies. Seemingly oblivious to the mess he had made Feliciano offered one of his cookies to Ludwig. Not feeling in the mood for sweets he politely declined.

"Ve, Ludwig?" asked Feliciano, "Are you feeling alright?"

Ludwig turned from the counters he was wiping to look at Feliciano. That seemed an odd question to him he felt fine.

"Yes," he replied shortly.

Feliciano hummed thoughtfully in response to this and took another bite of his cookie. His silence was very short lived as he launched into a detailed description of seemingly everything he had done since he had last visited Ludwig. It had been three days since then. To Ludwig it seemed as though Feliciano had seen an impossible number of cats and pretty girls.

Once Ludwig felt he had gotten the kitchen cleaned up enough he sat down to listen to Feliciano talk. Despite his disagreements on Feliciano's choice of subject matter Ludwig didn't want to be rude to his best friend. Besides listening to his friend talk on and on about nothing important was soothing in a way.

After a couple hours of Feliciano's special brand of randomness the Italian informed Ludwig that he was going to a friend's for dinner and didn't want to be late. Ludwig saw him off then returned to the quiet of his own home. He suddenly really wanted to know what his brother was up to. Usually he didn't care to know what his brother was doing at all as long as he wasn't being escorted home by the police at odd hours of the morning.

Now though he felt curious as to what his brother and Matthew could be up to. Actually he hadn't even been aware the two were friends. Why had his brother been keeping his friendship with Matthew a secret? Ludwig couldn't really think of a good reason for his brother's behavior but then, when had his brother ever been particularly rational about anything other than war.

Ludwig considered, briefly, going out to look for them but decided against it. Both were grown men who would be able to take care of themselves just fine. Why would he disturb them? Those two were friends and if they wanted to spend time together it was no business of his.

Maybe, Ludwig thought momentarily, he wanted to be friends with Matthew too.


	5. Chapter 5

It was several hours later when Gilbert returned home. Notably he no longer had Matthew with him. He also seemed slightly intoxicated but Ludwig was entirely unsurprised by this. He wanted to ask his brother where Matthew had gone but wasn't sure if it was appropriate. Normally he wouldn't care when Gilbert's friends left and often hoped they would leave before they destroyed his house.

In the end Ludwig decided to ask, "Gilbert, er, where did Matthew go?"

Gilbert gave him a strange look that lost some of its effectiveness because of his inebriation.

"Mattie went home West," Gilbert responded with surprising clarity.

"Oh," Ludwig said holding back what he felt was unwarranted disappointment.

"Yeah," Gilbert bluntly, "I'm going to bed."

Ludwig watched him shamble away and listened for the sound of a body falling down the stairs for a moment. When no noise was heard Ludwig glanced at the clock and decided that it was an appropriate time to go to bed.

Ludwig had a very specific routine that he completed every night before bed. It was designed to help him calm down so it was easier to fall asleep. First he walked all around his house to make sure everything was neat. If he didn't it would bother him all night. Then he cleaned himself up before changing into night clothes. When he got into bed he would read, depending on the situation sometimes he was too tired, until he felt sleepy at which point he would mark his page and lay down to sleep.

For the most part this routine calmed Ludwig down enough that he fell asleep easily. There was always exceptions to this though, nights when it was too hot, nights when he was too worried about something, or, well, tonight. Ludwig went through his mental checklist of things that most often kept him awake.

His brother? Gilbert was in bed hopefully sleeping. Maybe on his computer. That was something he worried about. He didn't want his brother straining his eyes or not getting enough sleep but his brother wasn't what was on his mind now.

His house? No, he had checked that before bed. Item by item he went through his list of things that commonly bothered him before bed and none of them were worrisome enough to be preventing him from sleeping. He went over is secondary checklist as well, just in case.

None of that seemed to be the problem either. Ludwig lay back in his bed a rubbed his forehead. When he was younger he remembered being told that if he couldn't sleep getting up and moving might help. So he reluctantly got up and get out of bed. He walked down the hallway. He walked to the bathroom and back to his bedroom. The kitchen was empty but the fridge had beer. It was tempting, very tempting. Ludwig wanted himself to be stronger than that.

He wanted to be but he wasn't quite. He continued walking with his beer. The house felt empty though Ludwig knew his brother was sound asleep downstairs. The moon shone bright outside and streamed in the windows like ribbons of translucent silk. The couch sat in one such beam of moonlight, it seemed weirdly empty. Staring at the couch wasn't helping Ludwig feel any calmer; in fact it seemed to be agitating whatever feeling was keeping him awake.

He decided to go outside. The backdoor led to an open patio and on warm nights in the summer Ludwig sometimes sat out here with his brother, listening to Gilbert ramble on about constellations and what they had to do with the mighty Prussia. Now, Ludwig sat alone sipping his beer, looking at the moon. It wasn't quite full yet but it was close enough that everything seemed to be lit by weak blue sunlight.

For a while Ludwig just sat, enjoying the peace of the night, the steady rhythm of the odd car and quiet breeze. All too soon Ludwig finished his beer. Feeling like he might be able to fall asleep now Ludwig crept back into the house. It was unnecessary as his brother could sleep through anything that he didn't want to wake up for but Ludwig felt the need nonetheless.

Back in his room and in his bed Ludwig found he had indeed grown very tired. Drifting off peacefully the last image that flickered in front of his eyes was of a smiling blond that had only a night ago been the face of his nightmares.

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**Relatively long update? Sorry for the wait my internet crashed and I couldn't upload. Still can't from home. I'm sorry for the really short chapters I hope it's not bothering anybody too much.**


	6. Chapter 6

A harsh cry rang through the house. For a moment Ludwig was ready to pull out his knife before he remembered what the sound was. It was his brother's odd pet bird. Gilbird was it? Ludwig would admit he agreed that it was cute but he disliked intensely the sound it made when it was hungry. All other times the bird made a cute peeping noise that he didn't mind but when it was hungry it made the most grating squawking sound.

Ludwig tromped downstairs and knocked on his brother's door before entering. Knocking was only a formality as he intended to walk in and throw his brother out of bed if need be to get that bird fed. When entered Gilbert was face down on the floor half the bed's blankets with him.

It was Ludwig's first instinct to make sure his brother wasn't dead but a slight twitch from the body on the floor relieved those concerns. Secondly he took the blankets from the body on the floor and placed them back on the bed. Gilbert groaned and groped blindly for the lost source of protection. Blinking his eyes open Gilbert seemed to become aware of the awful squawking happening in his room. As well as the disapproving glare of his younger brother.

Slowly, Gilbert got up reached for his bird's food. The moment he touched the food the bird quieted down. Satisfied that his objective had been accomplished, Ludwig returned upstairs to get dressed and eat breakfast. Making sure he was at least presentable in his mirror, Ludwig thought of breakfast with Matthew the previous day. It had been…nice.

Who was he kidding it had been the most enjoyable breakfast he'd had in ages. Feliciano was always uplifting to be around but often times his visits left Ludwig feeling a bit tired. Roderick was much calmer, most of the time, but he had an attitude that made it hard for Ludwig to spend a lot of time with him. No one else he knew was quite like Matthew.

Ludwig put a couple slices of bread in the toaster and went to retrieve his morning paper. Once he came back he got himself a glass of orange juice, some cereal, and his toast. While he worked his way through the assembled food he considered if he should add a fruit to his breakfast. When he was finished he felt full enough and decided against the fruit.

AS he was getting ready to leave Gilbert finally appeared upstairs.

"Good morning West," Gilbert mumbled still seeming sleepy earning a scoff from his younger brother.

"Good morning," Ludwig replied then exited the building.

He had no official plans for the day but it was nice to just be in the city sometimes with no reals plans as for where to go. Well, that wasn't entirely true. Ludwig wanted to take a walk through the park. He planned on saying thereabouts until lunch. For lunch he wanted to go to a nice bakery located not too far away. They made fresh sandwiches every day and all of their baked goods were delicious. Plus the family that owned it was very friendly and always very nice.

The sun was out so the weather was just right for a walk. Ludwig enjoyed stretching his legs and seeing people interacting with each other. Sometimes relationships were like a language he couldn't speak but it was nice to see others who could.

Ludwig walked calmly through the park following the path and taking turns whenever the urge struck him. He wandered this way for a while until he circled back near to where he started off. When he got there he was ready to check his watch and maybe head towards the bakery but he saw a familiar head of silver hair.

Ludwig began walking towards his brother when he saw an accompanying head of blond hair. At first he thought it was Francis and he was ready to walk the other way. The other person lacked Francis' particular flare though and as he looked closer he realized it was Matthew. Gilbert had said that Matthew had gone home! Had he been lying? It seemed so, but why would he lie about that?

Did Gilbert not want him to be around Matthew but why would he care? It was all very confusing and Ludwig wanted very much to confront his brother about it but didn't want things to be awkward for Matthew. For now he decided that he would just approach the two casually and interrogate his brother later.

"Hello," Ludwig called and waved to the two.

Gilbert visibly flinched and seemed to be about to turn around when Matthew smile and walked towards Ludwig.

"Hello, Ludwig," Matthew greeted.

"Hello Matthew, brother," responded Ludwig. Gilbert scowled and nodded at Ludwig. "What are you two doing here?"

Matthew looked at Gilbert who was still pouting before responding, "We came to the park to enjoy the good weather."

Ludwig asked, "Would it be alright if I joined you?"

Gilbert opened his mouth and looked as though he was about to outright reject the offer but Matthew cut him off, "Sure. It'll be fun if all three of us go together. Any suggestions for where to go?"

Gilbert shrugged and Ludwig replied, "As long as we stay on the paths anywhere is fine."

Matthew nodded and walked ahead. Ludwig was about to follow him when Gilbert pulled him back by the arm.

Gilbert leaned in close to Ludwig a slightly menacing look on his face, "Mattie's mine West," he hissed then walked away.

Oh, it was on. Ludwig was not about to lose Matthew's potential friendship to his brother just because his brother couldn't share.

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**For real long update? A double update today because I had time to write it all while the internet was down! Yay! (I think it's getting close to there finally being some action)**


	7. Chapter 7

After walking behind Matthew for a few tense minutes Matthew stopped in an open area with few other people in it.

"Let's stop here," he said cheerfully.

Matthew deposited the backpack he had been wearing on the ground and sat contentedly beside it. Ludwig stood awkwardly for a minute after his brother flopped down beside Matthew before he took a seat as well. Matthew reached into the backpack and removed some sandwiches.

"I didn't make too many because I didn't figure on us having company but I'm sure we can all share nicely."

Ludwig took the offered sandwich hesitantly. He was a little dismayed to have been derailed from his previous lunch plans but found that he didn't mind so much as he normally would have. The sandwich looked good enough. It seemed to be a normal ham sandwich but when he took a bite something was a little different. Ludwig couldn't quite place what it was at first but then he realized. It wasn't lettuce on the sandwich, it was cucumbers!

What an odd replacement, yet it still tasted quite good.

"Do you like it?" Matthew asked quietly, "Not everyone does so it's okay if you don't."

"No, it's good," replied Ludwig. Matthew smiled timidly seeming pleased with the praise.

Ludwig only got to take one more bite of his sandwich before it was snatched unexpectedly from his hands. Looking up surprised he saw his brother glaring at him and taking a large bite out of the stolen food. Ludwig's brow creased with confusion and a little anger. What was Gilbert doing? There were other sandwiches, why take his.

Ludwig took another sandwich while keeping an eye on his brother. This time he finished the sandwich but now it was on. Gilbert's behavior was ridiculous, immature, and completely uncalled for. Were they not in a public space with a guest Ludwig would have started a fight right then and there. As it was Ludwig held back, he didn't want to cause a scene.

There were only four sandwiches so with Gilbert having laid claim to two and Matthew and Ludwig each having gotten one they were all gone quickly. Ludwig lamented this fact briefly as he would have liked to have a bit more for lunch. Matthew produced from the backpack a couple of water bottles and a Frisbee.

Ludwig took a drink from one and his brother insisted on sharing with Matthew. Again Ludwig was puzzled by his brother's odd behavior. Matthew tried to politely decline saying he wasn't all that thirsty but Gilbert insisted and in the end Matthew gave in.

For some reason the exchange between the two irked Ludwig. He found himself wanting to tell Gilbert to give it a rest and leave Matthew alone. He refrained from saying anything as he thought keeping hydrated was in Matthew's best interest.

Once everyone had gotten a drink Matthew put the water bottles back into the backpack.

"How about we play a game of catch with the Frisbee?" Matthew asked before looking at Ludwig, "Unless you have somewhere else you need to be?"

As Ludwig opened his mouth Gilbert jumped in, "I'm sure Luddy is plenty busy so why don't we just-"

Ludwig cut him off, "No. I did not have any specific plans for the day. I would be glad to join in a game if you'll have me."

"That's great!" exclaimed Matthew, "These things are always more fun with more people. Unless you get too many then things can get uncomfortable."

"Yeah," Gilbert mumbled under his breath so only Ludwig could hear, "Three's a crowd West, why don't you skedaddle?"

"I see no reason for me to leave," responded Ludwig in an undertone.

Gilbert growled and walked out into the grass a few feet to where Matthew was standing. Ludwig joined them and they spread out into a somewhat uneven triangle formation. Matthew threw first to Gilbert. Gilbert had to take a step to the right to catch it and this caused Matthew to call out an apology.

"No problem Birdie, the game wouldn't be any fun if there was no challenge!"

Gilbert then threw to Ludwig missing horribly and throwing much too high. Ludwig was able to jump high enough to catch it but sent his brother a scowl. He knew Gilbert could throw better than that. Was he trying to give him a hard time? Again Ludwig wondered why. It was not his fault that he had run into the pair at the park. It could be that Gilbert wanted time alone with his friend. Yes, that made sense but from what Matthew had said about Gilbert planning his visits for when Ludwig planned to be away it seemed as though the two had lots of time alone together already.

Ludwig threw a smooth pass straight to Matthew. Matthew caught the disk easily and redirected it to Gilbert. This time the pass was better and Gilbert caught it with minimal effort. Once he passed it to Ludwig though he mysteriously lost all of his ability to throw. The disk was thrown low and Ludwig almost missed it but sharp reflexes aided him in capturing the disk before it touched the ground.

Now he was certain, his brother was trying to mess with him. Ludwig was frustrated but decided that he wouldn't let his brother get to him. Gilbert obviously didn't want to make it look like he was purposely screwing around; it would seem he was faking an inability to throw with any accuracy.

It went on like this for a few rounds, Matthew throwing well but not perfectly, Gilbert purposely missing, and Ludwig throwing controlled passes right to Matthew, until Matthew called for a change in direction. He now passed the disk to Ludwig who caught it easily enough. Gilbert seemed to tense up a bit at this. It was tempting for Ludwig to give his brother a taste of his own medicine. When he went to throw the Frisbee though, he found that he couldn't bring himself to screw up on purpose so he defaulted to throwing the Frisbee hard at his brother.

It Frisbee went straight so it would have been hard for Gilbert to miss the pass but Ludwig took note of his brother's small flinch when the disk contacted his hand. Ludwig allowed himself a small smirk; this seemed to be a good way to get his revenge. When Gilbert passed the Frisbee to Matthew him aim seemed to have miraculously improved. Matthew noticed too.

"Suddenly remembered how to throw, eh?"

"Or maybe you're just good luck Birdie," Gilbert replied with a wink. Both Matthew and Ludwig rolled their eyes.

They played for a while longer in the same manner before Matthew said he was getting tired.

"You two can keep playing if you want I'm just going to close my eyes for a minute." Then Matthew walked over to his backpack and curled up beside it.

Gilbert's eyes softened for a moment at the sight before he turned back to Ludwig eyes hardening again.

"Want to play some more West?" Gilbert near hissed in a challenging tone. Ludwig was far from ready to back down.

"Sure," he responded calmly.

Their game became one of calculated risk, each one trying to show as much accuracy as possible to show their skill while throwing hard enough and just enough off to hopefully make the other miss the throw. Ludwig at one point realized that they must look ridiculous, sweating, brows furrowed, throwing a plastic disk at each other. In fact he was just tired enough from the small jumps and leaps he'd been making to catch the Frisbee that he actually started to laugh.

The noise startled Gilbert so much that he dropped the Frisbee mid throw.

Ludwig laughed for only a couple seconds longer before saying, "Point to me," and causing his brother to look down in surprise at the dropped disk. Gilbert recovered quickly though and frowning and muttering under his breath walked over to where Matthew was napping and stood back to Ludwig.

Ludwig sat on the ground, smiling. Laughing felt good. How long had it been since the last time he had actually laughed? It had been a while certainly. Despite his brother's weird behavior Ludwig had quite enjoyed his day. He hoped that he would be able to spend more time like this in the future.

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**Ta-da! Yes, cucumbers not maple. Matthew's not crazy, though I wonder how that would taste...**


	8. Chapter 8

The next day Ludwig woke up at six to an empty house. Yesterday evening he had parted ways with his brother and Matthew knowing that he should go to bed at a sensible time in order to get up in time for work. He assumed Matthew was staying at a hotel elsewhere in the city but he had expected his brother at least to come home. No matter. Ludwig would get on with his day as usual. It bothered him a little to think that his brother probably stayed with Matthew.

It didn't take Ludwig long to get cleaned up and dressed so he had a leisurely breakfast. He ate slowly while reading the newspaper. Suddenly he thought of work. He had work today like any other day and he knew his brother didn't really have a job any more but what about Matthew? Was there a holiday in Canada or had Matthew gotten some vacation time? If it was the latter, Ludwig suddenly thought, Matthew was in _his_ country!

It hadn't really occurred to him before to think of it like that. With all the beautiful places there were to see on his own continent Mathew had chosen to come to Europe and within that Germany! Ludwig felt bashful for a moment before he remembered something. Matthew had mentioned that he visited before at least a couple times. Again, Ludwig hadn't really realized what that meant when Matthew had said it; he'd said it so casually. Thinking more about it now as he walked out the door, Ludwig wondered how he hadn't noticed.

In war times, he knew, it was possible for countries to disguise their presence to make sneak attacks and stealth missions possible but nowadays? In times of peace if countries planned to visit incognito they would send notifications for the sake of courtesy if nothing else. Matthew, who seemed so polite, surely wouldn't simply ignore this convention. Would he? What reason would he have to sneak into the country but then he wasn't really being very sneaky if he was trying not to be noticed. Ludwig figured this all must have something to do with his brother.

There was so many unanswered questions all brought about by Matthew sudden morning appearance and Gilbert's odd behavior. Feeling very distracted Ludwig continued his walk and arrived a few minutes later exactly fifteen minutes early for work. At the front desk a secretary waved a cheery good morning and buzzed him in. Ludwig replied with a stoic nod and proceeded inside. As he had a few minutes to spare he flipped on a small radio to listen to the news.

After conversing with Matthew in English for so much of the weekend, hearing his own language was calming for Ludwig. He listened to reports of miscellaneous happenings within the city and some surrounding towns. Most of it was good news or at least news that didn't have too much importance either way but there were a couple of disheartening reports mixed in. Oh well, thought Ludwig, nothing's perfect.

His Boss showed up then and proceeded to himself settled in for the day's work. Ludwig sat patiently waiting for his assignment. After much shuffling of papers Ludwig was given his jobs for the day. Today not too much was happening so Ludwig was being sent out to check up on some of the more prominent businesses in the city. Grateful that the week was off to a relaxed start and that he wasn't stuck inside doing paperwork on the first day back after the weekend, Ludwig left immediately.

For the first few locations Ludwig was able to walk to his destinations. His meetings with the managers or heads of staff at the locations seemed to consist entirely of formalities and very little actual information. It was what normally happened and as per usual Ludwig went through with the formalities only up to the point at which he felt they were beginning to interfere with getting work done. At that point he would _politely_ inform them that he was paying a visit for a reason and he would like to hear something about the business. By lunch Ludwig had made decent progress through the list of businesses to be visited.

He went to a nearby shop to get a sandwich and a coffee. Ludwig ate his lunch slowly enjoying the lunch rush as it happened around him. When he finished he phoned into the office to give a report. His boss was out doing something but someone else took a note. Ludwig consulted his list and mapped out a route for his last three stops. He would need to take the train.

The train wasn't very crowded at all because of the time of day, so Ludwig was able to enjoy a peaceful ride to his first destination. It was more of the same thing he'd experienced earlier in the day. Most days Ludwig took every part of his job very seriously. It was a rare day when something else was distracting him. Today seemed to be one of those few days. Focusing on what was being said required so much control. Ludwig, not being one to give up, pushed through it. For the next three hours.

Until, at long last, it was time for the final stop. It was a factory at the far end of the city where cars were made; Ludwig had worked part time there for a while years ago. He hoped they were more to the point than all the other businesses had been.

Thankfully they were, Ludwig appreciated that and with as close to a smile as he ever used at work he bid them a good day and turned to take his leave. Before he could take four steps out the door Ludwig saw something. A certain pair of people who seemed to just keep showing up.

* * *

**Things I'm Sorry For: It being so late (vacation then mild writing block), the lack of interesting things happening here, possibly OOC Ludwig?, and the cliffhanger type ending. **

**I will try to finish the rest of this meeting of the trio quickly but I don'y know how long it'll take to do something decent so I thought I'd at least upload something, cliffhanger though it may be.**


	9. Chapter 9

Matthew was beginning to get tired. As much as Gilbert was hid friend and he loved spending time with him, Matthew was ready to go home. It had been a fun few days. He'd even got to interact with Gilbert's brother. An opportunity denied him by chance and Gilbert himself. He knew that his friend tried to subtle about it but his brother being 'a workaholic' didn't explain his complete absence every time Matthew visited. Matthew had caught on to Gilbert's trick early on but had chosen not to say anything. He was sure his friend had a reason.

Now he was being half dragged around town to see all the impressive things the city had to offer to the world. Matthew almost got the sense that Gilbert was trying to brag about something but and Gilbert wasn't saying it outright he wasn't really sure what it could be. He already knew about lots of it, he'd visited enough times, and hearing Gilbert talk all day about it just wasn't his idea of enjoyable. Gilbert seemed determined though so Matthew was willing to let it go.

It was getting towards the end of the walk and Matthew mentioned that he was getting tired; Gilbert promised him that he just wanted to go to one more place. How surprising it was though that they once again ran into Ludwig. Matthew smiled and gave a small wave as Ludwig looked equally surprised. Even though it was mumbled quietly Matthew was sure he had heard Gilbert curse. He elbowed his friend in the side, he was being quite rude and Matthew was starting to run out of patience for it.

Ludwig walked slowly towards them.

"Hello, again," greeted Matthew.

"Hello," replied Ludwig.

"Yo," Gilbert muttered quietly while not so subtly looking away.

"What brings you two here?" inquired Ludwig.

As Gilbert seemed to be trying to ignore his brother Matthew replied for him, "Oh, just walking around seeing the sights."

Ludwig grunted in acknowledgement of the reply. Matthew found that a rather curt reply but Ludwig seemed to be thinking about something and he didn't really want to start anything he was after all getting tired.

"Would you like for me to show you around some?"

Matthew wasn't expecting that and from the look on Gilbert's face neither was he. Gilbert's face quickly turned sour.

"Don't you have work to do baby brother?"

Ludwig's eyebrow twitched a little in response to the remark but outwardly he seemed to be remaining calm. "Actually, I just finished for the day, if you'll give me a moment to phone the office I'll have plenty of time."

Matthew didn't like the looks of this. He preferred, if at all possible, to avoid conflict. Between individuals it was worse, he always felt bad about it but he was never able to stop people from fighting if they had decided that was what they were going to do. The brothers seemed to be heading towards that so Matthew tried to stop them before anything started.

"It's alright, if he has the time maybe it'll be better if we all go together? Maybe you'll both know things that the other might not have and it'll add to the experience?"

Matthew phrased everything as a question because he wasn't really sure how either brother would take it and he had just said the first thing that came to mind in an attempt to calm them down. It seemed to have the opposite effect and Matthew scolded himself internally. Both brothers proceeded to walk forward and begin what seemed a tour guide level history of the business.

Despite the learning opportunity the tour provided and Matthew's own novice interest in cars he found himself unable to pay full attention to the brothers. It made it especially hard when they seemed to keep trying to one up each other with facts. The whole flow of both of their speeches was interrupted. It was so bad that at one point Matthew was tempted to interrupt them to tell them just that. He held back though, just another few minutes, he told himself.

It wasn't. A whole half an hour later both Gilbert and Ludwig had finally finished telling a detailed history of every individual who had ever had any significance to the company. Matthew was bored, tired, and wanted more than ever to get back to his own bed and his polar bear. Kuma…j..ku….um. Anyways, would be fine on his own but Matthew still missed him. They finally exited the building and Matthew tired his best to stifle a large yawn. His attempts failed though as Ludwig seemed to notice.

"Are you tired Matthew?" he inquired kindly.

Matthew had not yet opened his mouth to reply when Gilbert snapped at him.

"Well if you hadn't-"

Ludwig didn't let him finish, "Hadn't what, might I ask?"

Gilbert just growled they were right in each other faces and Matthew was sure that any second now they would start throwing punches. Matthew wanted to avoid taking any drastic measures so he tried to say something but neither heard nor listened.

"Guys," Matthew said raising his voice just a bit in the hopes of getting their attention. It didn't work.

Matthew tried again just a bit louder, "Gilbert, Ludwig, please stop."

It was still to no avail.

Gilbert grabbed Ludwig shirt and wound up for a punch Ludwig mirrored the gesture.

Matthew was done.

"Both of you stop this instant!" he shouted in a rarely heard tone while grabbing both of their fists in a crushing grip.

Both quieted down immediately and looked stricken.

"I don't know what's going on between the two of you. Frankly, at this point, I don't have it in me to care. I had thought better of both of you. Turns out I was wrong, big surprise. Now, I'm leaving and I don't want to hear a word from either of you. I will see you some other time and hopefully by that time both of you will have learned some decorum."

He dropped the brother's fists and walked away. Both stood frozen to the spot and Matthew was glad because as he cooled down he began to feel the tiniest bit guilty about the outburst and he really didn't want to talk to either of them for a while.

Matthew walked a couple blocks then called a taxi. He dropped by the hotel he had stayed at the previous night and grabbed his bags then checked out. Then he took the taxi to the airport where he was, thankfully, able to buy a plane ticket back to his own country. It was going to be a while before his plane left but Matthew was willing to wait. Feeling the weariness from earlier returning Matthew set an alarm on his phone and proceeded to take a nap.

Before the alarm went off Matthew felt a hand on his shoulder shaking him awake. He did not appreciate in the slightest the invasion of his personal space and was about to tell whoever it was just that when he recognized a familiar face.

It was Ludwig. Matthew would have thought if anyone was going to come after him it would have been his friend. On second thought though, Gilbert knew that Matthew would scold him for his behavior earlier and he also knew that if he waited Matthew wouldn't be as angry. For all his tough talk Gilbert could be such a chicken about some things.

"I wanted to apologize for my actions earlier," Ludwig said with sincerity. Matthew blinked. So many people he knew were so unwilling to apologize. Ludwig continued, "I was behaving inappropriately and I have no excuses for that. I know you said you didn't want to hear a word from either of us but I couldn't let you leave without a word." Ludwig looked sad.

"It's okay." Ludwig looked about to protest but Matthew stopped him. "No, it really is. I agree that you were acting inappropriately but I get the sense that Gilbert was a catalyst for that and I can understand you losing your composure. I have a brother too."

At that Ludwig blinked. Matthew smiled knowingly.

"You didn't notice the family resemblance? Alfred. Alfred F. Jones is my brother."

Ludwig was a bit shocked but he seemed to recall knowing that information already.

"Here sit down," Matthew moved his bags off the chair beside him. Ludwig sat carefully and Matthew said, "I'm glad you came to say you're sorry, I would have hated to leave on a sour note especially since we haven't been able to talk in so long."

Ludwig's face softened, "It has been very pleasant spending time with you Matthew."

Matthew glanced down at his watch, "I still have a while before my flight boards, would you care to wait with me?"

"It would be my pleasure," Ludwig said and the corners of his mouth turned up into just the barest hint of a smile. Matthew was so glad that Ludwig had decided to stay, for some reason the thought of him leaving made Matthew feel quite sad.

The two were able to chat calmly for a while but Matthew felt himself drifting off again. Ludwig trailed off into silence. Matthew tilted to the side and leaned against Ludwig. Ludwig twitched a bit but let Matthew rest. Matthew continued to doze, half listening to the voices around him until his alarm went off.

Matthew woke with a start despite the fairly calm sound of the alarm. Ludwig gave a small start as well at the sudden movement. Matthew felt his cheeks grow a little warm when he realized he had been sleeping on Ludwig's shoulder.

"I, I guess I've got to go now."

"Yes. Well, it- it was nice Matthew. May I call you Matthew?"

Matthew grinned, "Of course! May I address you by your first name as well?"

"Certainly," Ludwig responded and once again felt like smiling.

Matthew picked up his bags and turned to leave. He paused for a moment though and turned around. Suddenly he used his free arm to wrap Ludwig in a hug. Surprised only momentarily Ludwig returned the gesture.

"Bye!" Matthew whisper shouted. Then he hurried off, just a bit embarrassed and left a stunned Ludwig behind.


	10. Chapter 10

Ludwig didn't see Matthew again for six weeks but in that time it was a rare moment that Ludwig was not thinking about him. He wanted desperately to be able to concentrate on something else for an extended period of time. It seemed that was not to be though. Everything seemed to remind him of Matthew. Even at work Ludwig was reminded of Matthew.

Previously Ludwig's work had been just that, work. It wasn't anything else and it didn't need to be, it was something he did because he had to, was obligated to. Since parting with Matthew somehow, work had become monotonous, more so than ever before. Ludwig longed to spend time with Matthew and every moment he wasn't trying to fix that he couldn't seemed to be a wasted one.

It was driving him crazy. Never in his whole life had this happened to him and nothing seemed to help. He mentioned wanting to talk to Matthew again casually to his brother but Gilbert had just glared at him then walked silently out of the room.

Gilbert too had been acting quite oddly. When Ludwig had tried to question him about Matthew apparent secret visits he had replied with absolutely no useful information, only muttered things about nosey little brothers. Ludwig was well and truly confounded. All the things that had happened, his brother's attitude recently, and Matthew were together more than he could handle. Ludwig needed a break, so begrudgingly for the first time in his entire life, Ludwig asked for a vacation.

When he asked his Boss nearly fell off his chair. He had been previously informed that Ludwig was not one to ask for vacation time no matter the workload, yet here he was asking for a vacation. Ludwig felt odd asking as well. He felt as if he was shirking his work somehow and had the situation been any different he would never have even considered asking.

That was not the case though. Ludwig knew that he wouldn't be able to focus again until he'd seen Matthew, ridiculous though it seemed. So he after some uncomfortable silence on the parts of both himself and his Boss Ludwig booked two weeks of vacation time. Then he proceeded to go home and take a long hot shower and think about the odd turn his life had taken.

-Meanwhile in Canada-

Matthew ran back up the hill for the fifth time. Behind his house, located a convenient distance from the city where he worked, is a steep hill. Matthew liked the hill for many reasons. It had trees of all different types growing on it so they looked good in all seasons, it had beautiful wildflowers in the summer and spring, it provided a good windshield from the worst of a lot of storms, it didn't block the sun, and it provided a good landscape for all sorts of recreational activities. The hill was quite high and steep so running up it once was enough to wind most moderately active people, three runs was enough for most athletes, and ten runs was the record held for times in a row run up the hill.

Matthew was presently lying at the top trying to focus only on his breathing. It was hard when even a solid workout reminded him of Ludwig. It was so frustrating! At work he thought of Ludwig's hard-working personality, at home he thought of the friendly conversation he'd had with him in Ludwig's home, even now his last resort running until he couldn't breathe made him think of when he had just caught a glimpse of Ludwig out running.

Matthew breath started coming back. He was considering strongly rolling himself down the hill to see if multiple cuts and scratches from the bushes would take his mind off Ludwig but he got up deciding, no, hurting oneself is not the best way to forget. Instead he flung himself full tilt down the hill and tried his hardest to stay on his feet. Miraculously it worked. The rush of his accomplishment made him feel much better than stinging bush scrapes would have and Matthew walked the short distance to his house feeling much better. He decided that when he got inside he would make himself some nice hot tea.

-Back with Ludwig-

Ludwig felt like a complete idiot. His first mistake had been telling his brother that he was taking time off. He should have told him that he was going on a business trip to Austria or Switzerland. It wouldn't have been entirely questionable and his brother wouldn't have had much inclination to follow him. Lying had never been Ludwig's first response though so when questioned about why he was packing a suitcase Ludwig had answered honestly.

"I'm taking a vacation."

Gilbert spat out his drink in what could have passed for a comedic manner to another. Ludwig however was only concerned with the mess that had just been made.

"Are you feeling okay?!" Gilbert practically shrieked forgetting entirely that he was 'too cool' for such outbursts.

"Are you dying!" Gilbert did scream this time grabbing his brother and checking pulse and temperature with his hand.

"No," Ludwig said forcefully removing his brother's hand from his face.

Gilbert put his hands on either side of Ludwig's face and stared directly into his eyes, "Luddy, it's okay. You can tell me what's wrong. We can work through this together bro. I'm not letting you die on me now."

Ludwig felt honestly touched by the amount of concern his brother was showing. He took his brother's hand off his face and said calmly, "I'm not dying. I'm just taking a vacation. People do that all the time and it seems I'm really overdue for one. I haven't been feeling myself lately, it's true, but I am by no means dying on you," Ludwig's face softened, "not yet anyway."

Gilbert looked sad, "Promise me Ludwig. You are not going to die before me."

Ludwig looked directly into his older brother's eyes, "I promise."

Then in a rare show of brotherly love Gilbert gave his Ludwig a big hug and Ludwig returned it without pause. Gilbert then remembered that he was 'too cool' for these things and gave an awkward cough before disengaging from the hug and walking out Ludwig's bedroom door.

Ludwig's second mistake after causing his brother emotional distress was not considering Canada. As a country it was quite large. In fact it was the second largest and he had assumed that Matthew would be located somewhere in the country's capital and had booked a flight based entirely off of that assumption. Upon landing in the mostly unfamiliar country, Ludwig had visited before briefly on business matters but as with all meetings of that sort Ludwig had not actually spoken directly to Matthew, Ludwig that his plan was not very well thought out.

That was what was bugging him most, that he really hadn't spent any time thinking about what he was planning to do. The capital wasn't as big as other cities, or at least it wasn't as populated but Matthew might not even live there! It was a huge country after all and living at one end might not be the most convenient for work related travel. The issue also arose that even if he did live in the city Ludwig had no way of finding him and then even if by some miracle Ludwig did find him what was he supposed to say to Matthew, there was no logical reason for his presence in the country.

Thinking that Ludwig realized another thing, he had been so intent on keeping his trip's destination a secret that he had forgotten to tell Matthew! Feeling even more down about his lack of manners especially since he had not come for a social visit to Canada yet, meaning this was about to be a bad first impression, Ludwig went to find a phone book.

The task was more challenging than he had anticipated. He knew that previously there had been public phones that came equipped with phone books but now he was hard pressed to even find one of those. After searching for an embarrassingly long time Ludwig found a help desk in the airport and asked for help. An unhappy woman directed him in the right direction and he thanked her accidentally in the wrong language. She seemed either not to notice or care. Ludwig walked the way she had directed and, thankfully, found what he was looking for.

Ludwig thought about what he needed to say. First of course he needed to apologize for not phoning before he left, secondly he needed to ask Matthew if he could come for a visit and in conjunction with that, where Matthew lived, and possibly if Matthew was willing to give him a ride to his home. Jetlag was starting to mess with Ludwig and he wasn't confident in his ability to continue communication in English for very much longer.

-Back with Matthew-

Matthew noticed when he got back to his house. He was surprised that he hadn't noticed earlier but with so much of his mind already occupied by Ludwig it honestly wasn't that surprising. The next question was if Ludwig was visiting why hadn't he called ahead? It was the polite thing to do and Matthew doubted that Ludwig had flat out forgotten that he was there for phoning already. Or had he? His own brother had done it a couple times before but Alfred was different.

Matthew considered this all while putting on some water to boil. Was it possible that something urgent had come up and there was not time to phone? No, that was ridiculous. If something had come up phoning would have been faster than flying all the way to Canada from Germany.

The kettle gave a shrill whistle and Matthew removed it from the stove adding its contents to a prepared mug. He sat sipping his tea and wondering what on Earth Ludwig was up to when the phone rang. Immediately getting up to answer it Matthew was pretty sure he knew who it was already.

"Hello."

"Hello is this Matthew?" said a tired sounding Ludwig.

"It is indeed," Matthew replied, he was curious but he figured Ludwig would explain things himself.

"First of all, I'm so very sorry for not having called ahead, it was inexcusable of me and I can only promise you think I shall make sure never to repeat the mistake."

There was a pause, Matthew could tell Ludwig had more to say and for now he was more in the mood to listen than talk.

"Secondly, I was wondering if I might be able to pay you a visit."

"Sure," Matthew smiled, "It would be nice to have some company, and no one's visited me for quite a while." Matthew realized he was starting to sound a bit wistful. He cleared his throat, "Err, where are you? I can come pick you up."

Ludwig described his location sounding a bit unsure. Matthew added some strength to his voice trying to reassure the man on the other end of the phone that all was well.

"I'll be there in a little while. I live just outside of town so it'll take a bit for me to get there but I leave right now."

"Oh," Ludwig sounded mostly relieved with a touch of something else, "I would hate for you to go out of your way to come get me, I should have arranged something, but as I did not I would be very grateful for a ride."

"No problem. See you in a bit."

"Bye."

Matthew replaced the phone on the wall. With new energy in his step Matthew transferred his tea to a mobile container and went out to his car. He was so glad that Ludwig had come for a visit he whistled all the way to the airport.


	11. Chapter 11

When the pair got back to Matthew's house both had a fair number of questions for the other. Ludwig was obviously tired though so both decided it would be best if he rested first. Matthew helped Ludwig get settled in in the guest room then returned to the kitchen.

He finished up the dishes that he had left in the sink and thought that his day had certainly taken a strange turn. It wasn't late enough yet for Matthew to feel like sleeping so instead he sat in the living room. At first he tried reading but he just couldn't concentrate so he turned on the television instead. The channel was on the news and Matthew watched for a bit but then changed the channel to something else.

When he began to feel himself drifting off Matthew roused himself enough to get ready for bed. Matthew feel asleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow. While both slept, unbeknownst to the other, they dreamed.

Ludwig found himself in a foggy landscape and tensed up preparing for a fight. Though he hadn't had one since Matthew's recent appearance in his kitchen, Ludwig thought he was once again dreaming of war. Something was different though and instead of enemies coming at him Ludwig felt himself drawn to something. An overwhelming curiosity took hold of him and he changed his pace from a walk to a sprint. Feeling as though he had been running for hours and yet no time at all Ludwig began to see a shape in the fog.

He felt strange when he first saw the figure. He got the sense not that the figure had been waiting for him but that he was supposed to meet the figure. It was important. He opened his mouth to call out but found he could make no sound. For a moment it panicked him but then Ludwig thought, I don't need words I just have to get to him. Then he was confused, him? The fog was too thick yet between them for Ludwig to be able to discern gender.

Ludwig almost reached the figure when the fog began to swirl. He reached out a hand to the figure but it just brushed by and all of a sudden Ludwig could no longer see him. Spinning, frantically trying to catch just a glimpse of the mysterious figure Ludwig began growing disoriented. He knew that he should stop spinning but he couldn't. At the height of his confusion and disorientation Ludwig woke up.

Head spinning, Ludwig checked the time. It was a bit early to be getting up but Ludwig figured he could be quiet enough not to wake Matthew. Meanwhile in his own bed Matthew was having his own dream.

He sat alone, not an unusual for his dreams, he felt as though he had stopped to wait for someone, which was unusual. Feeling jittery and nervous Matthew stood. He thought of Ludwig, how much he would like to be around him, to be more than just around him, to be with him. As soon as he thought that Matthew got very nervous indeed but he felt that he still must wait. He did, for what seemed forever and yet no time at all. Then he waited some more but he couldn't stand still any longer and he began to pace. Sadly, as Matthew paced he tripped over his own feet and woke with a jolt.

For minutes Matthew sat in bed, staring at the ceiling. He knew that he must tell Ludwig how he felt or at least tell him that he liked him. Matthew knew that he hadn't spent a lot of time with Ludwig and Matthew didn't want to make him feel weird. Maybe just maybe it would work out okay but Ludwig seemed like such a stoic person, would he just think Matthew was ridiculous? Matthew would have gone on like that longer but he thought he heard something.

Getting up quietly Matthew made his way towards the source of the noise. What he found was a bit surprising. In the kitchen sitting with a cup of tea was a slightly disgruntled looking Ludwig. He looked up seeming a bit shocked when Matthew walked in. Matthew smiled and then giggled a bit. Ludwig raised an eyebrow at him. Matthew finished his quiet laugh and sat at the kitchen table across form Ludwig.

"It's just that, not too long ago you were the one waking up the find a guest in your kitchen. I know the situations aren't quite the same but I found the parallels amusing," Matthew was using a whispery voice despite the fact that the only two in the house were already awake.

Ludwig smiled a bit too once Matthew explained. Ludwig felt that he was smiling a lot when he was around Matthew and as much as it was kind of loosening up some seldom used face muscles making his face a bit sore, Ludwig was glad for it.

"Why're you up so early?" Matthew inquired.

"I had a," Ludwig paused, "weird dream."

The upset Ludwig had felt at losing sight of the figure in his dream hadn't really faded when he woke up. So he had come into the kitchen and found some tea, hoping Matthew wouldn't mind of he drank it, to try to calm his nerves. It hadn't really been working hence his disgruntled appearance when Matthew walked in. The feeling was fading now though and Ludwig was feeling better.

"Ah," Matthew replied, "Me too."

Ludwig looked at Matthew quizzically but didn't ask. How odd, speaking of odd though, if they were both awake there were some things Ludwig wanted to clear up.

First though, Ludwig asked, "Would you like some tea as well and I hope you don't mind that I got myself some."

Matthew answered, "I don't mind at all but I'll get myself tea. After all, you're my guest; I wouldn't have you making tea for me."

He then rose from his chair and proceeded to remove a berry tea from a tin in the cupboard and a plain jade green mug as well. Neither said much as Matthew reheated the water and it didn't take long until both of them were seated once again.

Matthew seemed to sense that Ludwig had something to say and remained quiet and attentive.

"I was wondering, when you were at my house," Ludwig began, "You said something implying that you'd stayed a few times before. How often do you visit my brother?"

Now it was Matthew's turn to look surprised.

"Well, I've definitely visited a few times. Gil and I spend a lot of time together. But he didn't tell you?"

Here Ludwig shook his head and Matthew cursed quietly in French. Ludwig blinked, Matthew didn't seem the type to swear but then, he reminded himself, he knew better about Matthew and also better than to judge based on appearances.

"Now I feel really bad," Matthew said and Ludwig blinked again, "Gilbert promised he'd tell you and I believed him or I would have phoned you. I'm sorry."

Ludwig shook his head, "No, if anyone is at fault here it is my brother." Ludwig got a dark look in his eye. He was pretty tired of his brother's recent shenanigans.

"Don't be too mad at him please, I probably should have phoned you directly anyways but I guess I was scared you wouldn't want me there so I just left it to Gilbert."

"Why wouldn't I want you there?" Ludwig asked but then he realized. Matthew saw this and nodded. "That was- I wouldn't hold that against you. I- I mean, if anyone is responsible it wasn't you so don't worry."

"Thank you," Matthew said quietly.

"Okay, my other question is, if you thought I knew you were coming why did you hide your presence?"

"It's because," Matthew stopped.

"Why?"

"I can't, others can't sense me. No one can. No one's ever been able to. It's just how I am." Matthew looked upset.

Ludwig didn't know what to say. It was odd to say the least but Matthew seemed genuinely upset and Ludwig wanted to say something but didn't know what.

He decided on, "I'm sorry Matthew, I didn't know."

"It's alright; there really wasn't any way you could have known," he sighed leaned his head back for a moment. Lifting it again he said, "Now, I have a question for you."

Ludwig set his mouth in a straight line, he knew what was coming and he didn't really know what he was going to say.

"Why did you leave Germany so suddenly to come to Canada without even calling first?"

Ludwig was silent for a moment embarrassed because of what he was about to say.

"I came to see you."

Matthew jolted, had Ludwig really come just to see him.

"I wasn't thinking and I just left. I had to and it wasn't until I got here that I realized how incredibly rash I had been," Ludwig looked right at Matthew and continued, "but I don't regret it one bit. I know that it was the right thing to do."

Matthew was speechless, it was too good to be true and he moved his hand off the table to pinch himself in case it was a dream. It seemed not. Matthew stood and Ludwig stood with him sure he had upset Matthew past the point of redemption. As Matthew walked towards him Ludwig braced for a hit.

Instead Ludwig found himself wrapped in a tight hug. He felt a warm joy spread from his heart to his limbs and he wrapped his arms around Matthew. Suddenly Ludwig knew for certain that the person he had been looking for in his dream had been Matthew and he knew that he didn't want to let go of this special and wonderful person that had wandered back into his life. He wanted to spend his free time with Matthew getting to know everything about him.

The two stood like that for a while before they slowly broke apart and stood connected by their joined hands.

"Um, Matthew?" Ludwig asked shyly.

"Yes?"

"Can I kiss you?" Ludwig asked almost in a whisper.

Matthew smiled and moved himself to cover the small gap between their lips formed by their small height difference. Matthew kissed Ludwig's lips sweetly before moving away.

"Not if I kiss you first."

Ludwig smiled, for now, everything was good and happy and he still had plenty of time to spend with Matthew until he had to go home once more.

* * *

**Aaaaand I'm done. Thanks for sticking with this, those of you who have. I'm sorry about not updating regularly and confusing point of view kinda changes and starting out saying Germany and ending saying Ludwig and for all my little mistakes because I didn't take the offer for a proof reader. **

**Anyways, all of your reviews really did inspire me and I want to thank you a lot for that. If people really want it I can probably write one more chapter about Gilbert.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Language warning. There are a couple of swears this time around.**

* * *

Prussia was lazing around the house, his usual (non)activity when he had the house to himself. For several hours previously he had been messing around on the internet getting farther into its strange depths until even he, the awesome Prussia, wanted to go no farther. Bored was what he was but everyone was busy, except him. Heck, he was almost tempted to go try to convince Ludwig's boss to let him do something.

In the end though he decided to phone Ludwig to see how his vacation was going. When the phone was not answered Gilbert was concerned but he figured that his brother was probably vacationing like he did everything else, way too seriously.

Gilbert dragged himself into the kitchen to make food and managed to make an unreasonably large mess with little resulting food. Looking at his perceived failure Gilbert felt very disappointed. Not only were his brother gone, all his friends busy and the kitchen a mess but he still hadn't talked to Matthew. Not that he needed to Prussia was just feeling…like he needed a walk. Yes, that was it; he just needed to go do something he couldn't screw up! Er, something productive.

So Gilbert walked. He wore a Prussian blue coat, his favorite, and a red scarf because it was cloudy outside and the chances of rain seemed high. Perfect, Gilbert thought, just perfect. Having nothing else to do though, Gilbert continued walking despite the melancholy weather.

For a while Gilbert just walked but the day was chilly and he began to crave something warm to drink. He knew that somewhere nearby there was a café where he could sit. It turned out not to be too far away either, just down the street actually. He went in and ordered coffee.

Most of the items on the chalk board behind the lady who took his order were fairly specialized so when he ordered black coffee he got a, shall we say, displeased look. That reaction made Gilbert feel better. Grinning feeling quite pleased Gilbert sat down at a table in the corner. Within moments though the amusement faded and Gilbert was feeling pretty melancholy again. He sipped his coffee thoughtfully and got up to get some sugar.

Damn, Gilbert didn't care what kind of fancy ass coffee these guys knew how to make they _sucked_ at making normal coffee. When he sat back down with his adjusted beverage it had just begun to rain and from outside came a bespectacled blonde looking a little damp from the rain and a little frazzled. She was holding a small map and looked to be trying to find something with little success.

She adjusted her round frame glasses, coat, and beret before proceeding to the counter. She ordered hot chocolate in very, very broken German. The lady once again gave a very disapproving look and suggested some alternatives the girl got very flustered and just nodding obviously just wanting to get a drink and sit down at this point.

Leaving the counter some fancy whip cream flavored hot chocolate and her map tucked under her arm the girl surveyed the small shop looking for a place to sit. She still seemed quite upset and in a spur of the moment decision Gilbert waved her over. Obviously startled the girl paused for a moment, in which Gilbert became very aware of the fact the he was an albino, before she started over. Gilbert breathed a soft sigh of relief glad that she didn't walk away. She sat down and gave a shy little wave.

"G-gooten tag?" she said hesitantly and very quietly.

"It's okay if you don't speak German, I know English," Gilbert said and smiled, gosh she was cute.

"O-Oh. Oh, that's great!" She said gaining confidence with every word she said.

Gilbert chuckled, "Well, look who found their voice," she blushed, "I noticed you have a map with you, are you trying to find something?"

"Yeah, I'm looking for…" She consulted her map, "Well, I'm afraid I don't know the name of the location exactly, I mean I thought I did, but then I got a bit turned around, it's my first time in the city since…uh, a while ago and things are so different and so I got a map but I don't know German and I guess I didn't think about that when I came here," she took a breath in and realized that she'd rambled on a bit and once again blushed.

Gilbert chuckled again, "Well, miss I think I might be just the person to help you. I know this city better than anyone!"

"I don't know…"

"You don't know if I really do know this city better than anyone? Hm. I might know of one person, only one mind you, who could possibly know the city better than me and he's my little brother and I taught him everything he knows," Gilbert stated grinning.

The girl giggled a little amused, "I guess I could use the help. If you're going to be assisting me then I think I should ask your name, sir."

"Ah, of course," Gilbert said and taking a page from the book of his good friend Francis he replied in his most suave voice, "I, my dear lady, am the most awesome Gilbert Beilschmidt."

"Oh," she only managed to annunciate that one syllable before she was laughing too hard to continue.

"Oh my goodness. I," She had to pause once more to catch her breath, "I should have known. I mean, how many albino men are there going to be here anyways, duh."

She shook her head smiling knowingly but Gilbert was now fairly confused. As much as it would normally have pleased him that his reputation preceded him he honestly wasn't sure what he had done to earn recognition from this girl. She held her hand out for a handshake and Gilbert took it.

"Hello, Mr. Beilschmidt I am Madeline Williams, it's a pleasure to finally meet you."

Gilbert mouth dropped open.

"What?!"

"Indeed, I figured that my brother wouldn't have had much excuse to talk about me."

"Oh, no," Gilbert said, "It's not actually that he didn't talk about you, it's more that, well, I haven't met you face to face once before." _How does that even happen?_

"You're right. Wow, the universe seems to have been conspiring against us wouldn't you say Mr. Beilschmidt."

Gilbert laughed, "I'd say it has. But hey, you can just call me Gilbert. Mr. Beilschmidt is too formal."

"Okay," Madeline smiled, "Then you may call me Maddie, because Ms. Williams and Madeline are both too formal as well."

Both smiled and laughed a little. They spent quite a while sitting there together talking, Madeline's destination and Gilbert's melancholy both forgotten. Their drinks also sat almost untouched.

It wasn't until a little while later when Gilbert remembered to ask where she had been heading. She laughed and told him she had been looking for her brother. Gilbert told her that he had already left for home. Madeline was dissapointed and Gilbert could tell. He offered to let her stay the night and she happily agreed.

Even after she went home to Canada the two decided that they would keep contact both secretly just a little smitten with the other.

* * *

And all of them get married in the end and live happily ever after and have lots of sex. The End.


End file.
